Question About DJ's Contracts

[dyeingeye]

Listening to WBCN for the last few years, I noticed that their DJs were yanked around a lot. At one point, Adam 12 was following Stern, which would end around 11AM, and 12's shift finished at 2PM. At some time before T&R moved to mornings, he was working 9-3. Hardy was moved around also. He was moved back an hour and then he was moved to afternoons.

My questions are:

Do all DJs have employment contracts or they at will?

If they have contracts, how do the contracts deal with the changes in hours and the time of day?

I am curious about 98.5. Hardy was kept on for a weekend show and flash boy duties, but Adam 12 is long gone. Is that because Hardy had a longer contract with CBS? (Not that I think Hardy is bad as a sports guy, just that I am surprised that he was kept on.)

 

[Bos79]

Listening to WBCN for the last few years, I noticed that their DJs were yanked around a lot. At one point, Adam 12 was following Stern, which would end around 11AM, and 12's shift finished at 2PM. At some time before T&R moved to mornings, he was working 9-3. Hardy was moved around also. He was moved back an hour and then he was moved to afternoons.

My questions are:

Do all DJs have employment contracts or they at will?

If they have contracts, how do the contracts deal with the changes in hours and the time of day?

I am curious about 98.5. Hardy was kept on for a weekend show and flash boy duties, but Adam 12 is long gone. Is that because Hardy had a longer contract with CBS? (Not that I think Hardy is bad as a sports guy, just that I am surprised that he was kept on.)

Adam 12 is working under a new name at Mix. Forgot what it is but it's awful. I'm guessing it's to fill out his contract.

 

[Bakers_Bookstore]

Quote from: dyeingeye on Today at 05:25:32 pm
Do all DJs have employment contracts or they at will?

If they have contracts, how do the contracts deal with the changes in hours and the time of day?

Some jocks have personal service contracts, most don't. It would be unusual that a jock would have language in their personal contract restricting the company's ability to move them around to different shifts.

CBS has had a track record of cutting people that have been there longer since they are more likely to have bigger contracts.

Jocks that don't have personal contract that work for a union shop will get a decent serverance package if they have been there any length of time. Jocks working at a non-union shop without a personal contract will only get whatever the company policy dictates.

 

[oldface]

Speaking of Adam 12, I believe he will be doing a Sunday afternoon shift at FNX.

 

[mleach]

Do all DJs have employment contracts or they at will?

In most small and medium markets..its totally at will. Most major markets I am sure the jocks are under some kind of contract.

For 18 years I worked in two markets..one in Virginia the other in Maryland ( Virginia small, Maryland medium sized ) and with the exception of one Virginia old-timer who did mornings ( and had done so since 1959 )..not one jock in those markets were under any kind of contract and it is still the case today.

 

[dyeingeye]

It would be unusual that a jock would have language in their personal contract restricting the company's ability to move them around to different shifts.

What are the limits? Could WBCN have had Adam 12 doing eight hours? He was a doing six at one point. What if he was asked to do weekends in addition? (I think Hardy had a weekend shift). At what point is the DJ entitled to more compensation or to say no under the terms of his contract?

 

[mistermicrophone]

It would be unusual that a jock would have language in their personal contract restricting the company's ability to move them around to different shifts.

At what point is the DJ entitled to more compensation or to say no under the terms of his contract?

Until the terms are violated.

 

[Bakers_Bookstore]

Posted by: mistermicrophone

Quote from: dyeingeye on Today at 10:56:05 am

Quote from: P Terrance Dactyl on Yesterday at 07:35:22 pm
It would be unusual that a jock would have language in their personal contract restricting the company's ability to move them around to different shifts.

At what point is the DJ entitled to more compensation or to say no under the terms of his contract?

Until the terms are violated

Mistermicrophone is correct.
Unless there is specific language saying they can't (very unlikely) then the company can bounce you anywhere. If you want to look back in time WBZ tried it with Dave Maynard when they bumped him to overnights in an attempt to get him to quit, WODS pulled a similar move with JJ Wright throwing him on overnights in an attempt to get him to walk away. To the credit of both men neither walked and the company eventually moved them back.

 

[dyeingeye]

It would be unusual that a jock would have language in their personal contract restricting the company's ability to move them around to different shifts.

At what point is the DJ entitled to more compensation or to say no under the terms of his contract?

Until the terms are violated.

And that's the question. Generally, what are the terms? P Terrance showed some examples.

 

[Bakers_Bookstore]

Okay I'll try it this way.

In Boston the union shops are WBZ, WODS, WBMX, WBZ-FM (i think), WGBH and I think that is all. Some jocks/announcers at those stations with the exception of WGBH have personal contracts.

The non-union jocks/announcers that most likely have personal contracts are Matty, Loren and Wally, Denis and Callahan, Howie, Tom Finneran maybe JW and Karlson and McKenzie

I would bet the house that not a single one union or non-union has a provision preventing the company from moving them to a different shift.

 

[KarsonWithaK]

Well, in some contracts it states the shift they have been hired to perform. I would imagine that if a company moved you to another shift then they may have voided the contract.

K~

 

[Bakers_Bookstore]

I doubt that moving someone out of the shift they were hired to do, even if that shift was outlined in the personal contract, would void the contract and given the current state of radio I further doubt that the few people in this market with a personal contract would complain too loudly about being moved while keeping their job!

Even in the current state of corporate radio there isn't a manager in charge (at least not one in charge for long) that would tie there own hands like that!